


The Labyrinth's Queen

by spartiechic



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Battle, Betrayal, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Drama, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Intrigue, Love, Minor Character Death, NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS, Suspense, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:20:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25717189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spartiechic/pseuds/spartiechic
Summary: Jareth is getting married, but the Labyrinth is not happy. It has chosen a Queen already. Unfortunately, even ancient beings know that life is rarely fair. Join the Labyrinth through a wild ride of romance, intrigue, drama, and suspense as she works to bring our favorite couple together before it's too late.
Relationships: Jareth & Sarah Williams, Jareth (Labyrinth)/Original Character(s), Jareth (Labyrinth)/Original Female Character(s), Jareth/Sarah Williams, Sarah Williams (Labyrinth) & Original Character(s), Sarah Williams (Labyrinth)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 55





	1. Whatever Keely Wants Keely Gets

The Labyrinth's Queen

Whatever Keely Wants Keely Gets

~~~~~~~~ooooo~~~~~~~~

"Ká roydh tú, o jhrá?" Nerys asked, putting her hands around her intended. He glanced at her, absently admiring her curly red hair swaying in the breeze. With bright blue eyes, she looked up at him.

(Where were you, my love?)

"Dhí né oj fuykuáyl ja gtí om lodirymth, o stár," Jareth replied easily, catching one of her curls and twisting it around his finger. She looked up at him with admiration. Today, he had on tan breeches, a blue poet's shirt, and a darker blue jacket. His clothes were always so carefully chosen to show him off at his best.

(I was seeing to the Labyrinth, my dear)

"Khoyll né tú," she said, pouting. Jareth rolled his eyes at the beautiful woman before him. She may be a fully grown adult in appearance, but she was still so childish in attitude.

(I missed you)

"Mí féygyr lyan o dhuyth luot jokh goro, na vhuoto," he replied. At her distressed face, he continued, "Okh duygh né omm meoyr o dhuygh sé oj kanhoyruonh."

(I cannot be with you every second, my pet. But I will be there when it counts)

This seemed to appease her for a moment. He looked over her shoulder, out into his kingdom, and could practically feel the Labyrinth shrinking away from him. Jareth knew that it wasn't pleased with him, but his hands were tied. After ruling alone for several centuries, it was time for him to find a queen. The neighboring Princess of the Nymph Kingdom was as good as any other. It would bond the two kingdoms and he could secure a powerful ally. They didn’t love each other, but both knew their places in the world. She was young and would produce an heir, which was all that mattered. To be quite honest, he didn't think he'd ever love again. He'd crossed that bridge several years ago and hadn't looked back.

" _King Jareth, a word with you,"_ came the voice inside his head.

The Goblin King sighed and pulled away from his fiancé, answering the call telepathically. _"Yes Keely."_

" _I must see you at once,"_ Keely replied.

_"Can't it wait until morning?"_ Jareth asked, a little impatiently.

" _No!"_ Keely replied, angrily.

_"I'll be right there,"_ Jareth said.

"Om roydh sé sym Keely? Om dhfeyl tú oj gel léy orís?" Nerys asked, pouting again. She had noticed the strange silence that had overtaken him.

(Was that Keely? Are you going to her again?)

"Yes it was and yes I am. It cannot be avoided," Jareth replied, turning to leave.

"Kém fáth o lodhroíamm tú y gtuomjo luothkhuomm mo nartols?" she asked, irritated.

(Why do you speak in the idiot tongue of the mortals?)

At the flash of anger in his eyes, she flinched. He noticed it and tried to reign in his temper. She couldn’t be helped for her prejudices, nor was she alone in them. "It is the language of the Labyrinth, my dear.”

"Kyantoíamm sé na khleoso," she said, allowing her own temper to flair.

(It offends my ears)

"It is the language of the Labyrinth," he said coldly. "If you want to be my queen, you had better learn to love it."

"Yes, my lord," she acquiesced. "But why does it have to speak in the mortal language?"

"That's better," he replied. "It speaks, not only in the language of the runner, but in the language of its victor."

"That mortal chit again?" she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Hold your tongue," he ordered. "I will not have you speak of the Champion in that way. As Champion of the Labyrinth, Lady Sarah commands the same respect as you."

"Hah!" she exclaimed, sarcastically.

"You'd better open your ears to me and listen well," he demanded. "You will not be queen if you continue this attitude towards the Labyrinth and its champion."

This got her attention and she assumed a position of submission, her head bowed. "I'm sorry, my king. I’m just out of sorts today. I will watch my try to reign in my accursed tongue."

"Good," he replied. "I shall return after I'm done."

Jareth kissed her cheek and walked out of the room. She frowned, thinking about Keely and Sarah. Nerys was a woman who had gotten everything she had ever wanted. This situation was the same as any other. She’d be damned if anything or anyone got in her way of her plans. Especially not a mortal chit or even an ancient being.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Jareth materialized in a small room with no windows. It was quaint and cozy with tapestries on the walls and modest furniture. A tiny woman with blond ringlets sat in an overstuffed chair in the middle of the room.

"Come in, my king," she said.

Jareth stepped into the room and walked to another chair opposite the one holding the blond beauty. Her eyes were mismatched, with one pupil larger than the other, like his own. She had a rather ethereal quality about her, practically glowing with her luminescent skin.

"Greetings Keely," he replied. "What can I do for you tonight?"

"I need to talk to you about your upcoming wedding," she said, her mouth turned down in a frown. He knew she was unhappy about his marriage to Nerys. Unfortunately, for her, his mind was already made up.

"You need to give Nerys a chance," he implored.

"I do not," Keely replied. "I have an alternative for you."

Jareth looked at her, trying not to sigh. They’d been through this time and time again. "I cannot marry her."

"Why not, my king?" she asked, pouting slightly. "She is my champion and only she is fit to rule me."

"My dear Lady Keely," he began. "Have you forgotten the most important thing?”

"What's that?" she asked.

"She rejected us," he replied.

"She rejected you,” Keely clarified. “You should have waited, but what’s done is done. You will simply have to change her mind."

"I cannot," he refused. "She has made her choices and so have I."

"Then go, Your Majesty," she ordered. "If you marry this Nerys, it will be the last you will hear from me."

"You'd dare threaten me?" he growled, getting angry.

"I'm sorry, Jareth," she apologized. "But you really leave me no other choice as I cannot allow myself to be ruled by that woman."

Jareth said nothing, walking through the door and slamming it on the way out. The sound made Keely jump and she began to cry. Outside, the creatures of the Labyrinth noticed the sudden rainclouds. It began to pour over the land.

'It's not over yet,' Keely thought. There was really only one thing she could do. 'I must take matters into my own hands.'

She dried her eyes and, with a blink, disappeared from the room. With her decision made, the rain outside suddenly stopped. Dark clouds still loomed, but at least it was dry again.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Sarah was sitting in her dorm room studying alone. Her roommate was at some party. Of course, the pretty brunette had been asked to come, but she just wasn't a party kind of girl. She stared at her textbook and groaned when she realized that she had just re-read the same passage for the tenth time. She was studying psychology, but she took this mythology course as a fun elective. At least she thought it was going to be fun before she realized how much work it involved. This was only the second week of school and she was reading her eighth book. Her eyes were starting to cross from all the reading.

Suddenly, she realized she wasn't alone in the room. Sarah turned to see a beautiful blonde standing behind her.

"Hello Sarah," the woman said.

"H-how do you know my name," Sarah stammered.

"I have known your name for millennia," the woman replied.

"Who are you?" Sarah asked, frightened.

"Not who, but what," Keely replied.

"Well then," Sarah said, beginning to get irritated, "what are you?"

"You don't recognize me?" Keely said, dejected.

"Should I?" Sarah asked. She looked really close at the woman before her. She didn't recognize her at all.

"You are my victor, my champion," Keely replied.

"No," Sarah said, "it can't be. Y-you're the Labyrinth."

"See, I told you that you knew me," Keely replied, happily.

"But how?" Sarah asked, confused.

"I am the heart of the Labyrinth," Keely explained. "You can call me Keely. I appear in this form to better communicate with my sovereign."

"You mean the Goblin King?" Sarah asked.

"Him and now my champion," Keely replied.

"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked. This was just a bit too much. She’d read a little already about different magical creatures, but nothing had prepared her for the physical manifestation of an ancient being chatting with her in her tiny dorm room.

"I have come to beg of you to return to the Underground," Keely replied. "There is a matter I need you to attend to at once."

"What matter is that?" Sarah said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"My king is getting married," Keely explained. "I have told him that I will approve no other queen but my champion."

"Q-queen?" Sarah asked, throwing her hands up. "I don't want to be a queen. I want to stay here and finish my degree; get a real job; live my life."

"You have to," Keely begged. "I will cease to exist should Nerys take the throne."

"Nerys," Sarah said, rolling the name around her tongue. "Is that his fiancé?"

"She's a vain, arrogant creature," Keely explained.

"Sounds like someone else I know," Sarah said.

"That's why it will never work," Keely said. "Jareth needs someone who will be his complement."

"There's only one small problem Keely," Sarah replied. "I don't like him."

"I don’t believe that, my Champion. Your eyes give you away.”

“What? No they don’t!”

“Please give him a chance," Keely begged. Sarah almost wanted to give in…almost.

"No," Sarah replied, adamant.

"Well then," Keely said sadly. "I will take my leave."

"Wait," Sarah replied. Keely looked at her with renewed hope. ". Can you come back and visit me some time? You see, I don't have many friends here. I guess I just feel a connection to you."

"Of course, Sarah," Keely said, her mind busy working on a plan.

"Then I will see you again soon," Sarah said, smiling.

Keely returned the smile and transported back to her little room within the Labyrinth. This was not going to be 'a piece of cake' as her victor was so fondly remembered as saying. She was going to have to work harder than she ever had before to put those two together again. By the Fates, she would succeed. She had to. The lives of herself and all that dwell within her depended on it.


	2. That's What Friends Are For

The Labyrinth's Queen

That's What Friends Are For

~~~~~~~~ooooo~~~~~~~~

Jareth stood on his balcony, looking over the Labyrinth. Something strange was going on. Not only could he feel it, he could see it in the sky. Normally overcast, the skies had become violently black and it had rained for some time. Now it was bright and sunny with a permanent rainbow over the hedge maze. What was Keely up to?

Movement in the gardens caught his eye. Jareth frowned when he noticed his gardener walking around one of the flowering plants. He should have banished that treacherous dwarf after he turned on him to help Sarah. _'Hogwart…Higgle…Hogbrain…oh never mind,' he thought._ Whatever his name was, he didn't understand anything about the situation. Jareth had never intended for Sarah to win his Labyrinth. When he first saw her practicing in the park, he became fascinated with the creature. She was so young and full of life. Her belief in magic was stronger than he had seen in years. He could see that when she grew into adulthood she was going to become quite the beauty. He was drawn to her and watched her every day.

Finally, he could deny it no longer. He was in love with the girl. Despite her youth, he knew that he had to have her. There was no one else he could see fit to be his queen. She knew nothing of him, but he felt he knew everything about her. He listened as she daydreamed and talked to her dog, Merlin. He heard her cry over her stepmother and her new baby brother. That's when he came up with an idea. Jareth was bound by fae law and could not steal Sarah away to the Underground as was his intention. He could only take the wished away. Therein lay his dilemma. No one would wish her away, not in this modern age, but there was another way. When someone was wished away, they had a choice. They could either take their dreams or run the Labyrinth. Running the Labyrinth had an unforeseen consequence that he seldom revealed. If someone did not complete the Labyrinth, they became stuck in the Underground forever.

Jareth created the little red book with the gold embossing entitled "Labyrinth." He placed it on the bench in the park, where he was sure she would see it. He transformed himself into an owl and perched himself into the tree near the bench to watch her retrieve the book. Sure enough, she didn’t disappoint him. When she noticed the book, she gave a little gasp of delight. Her fingers traced the gold lettering and she said the title under her breath. Sitting down on the bench, she began reading the little story of the princess who fought her way to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City to save her brother from the Goblin King. Pretty soon, she was at the park every day reciting the lines he had written for her.

It only took a few short months before she was so caught up in the story that her belief in him was complete. When she wished her brother away, for at least one moment, she had total belief that they would come and take him away. Even though it was said in anger, it didn't matter. He couldn't, and wouldn't, disregard the wish. What's said is said, after all. Being able to finally talk to her was almost overwhelming for Jareth. He wanted to put on a show for her; to live up to her expectations. He became exhausted playing the role of the villain. All he wanted to do was gather her up and take her as his queen. It was this exhaustion that caused him to pour his heart out to her at the end. When it became apparent that she was going to win and leave him, he tried everything he could to make her stay. Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on her sense of honor and fairness. She couldn't just leave Toby in the Underground.

When she returned above, he had watched her through the window in his owl form. He was glad that she had met so many friends and seemed to rejoice in her victory, but he was also angry that she had rejected him. After returning to his castle, he proceeded to wallow in his Throne Room alone for a month. He refused to meet with his subjects and neglected the Labyrinth. Keely finally had to come to him to get him to snap out of it. She reminded him that the girl was far too young to understand everything that he had offered. He should have waited until she was older, but he was too impatient. She convinced him to begin to live again and to have hope that Sarah would find her way back into the Underground. Unfortunately, Keely never counted on the fact that Sarah would be as stubborn as Jareth. She refused to acknowledge any feeling for him other than dislike.

Jareth watched the dwarf for some time with a look of sadness. If only her friends had not helped her find the castle. He would have made her his queen and they would have seen their friend lifted to heights of which she had only dreamed. Of course, he never told them of his plans for her. He was arrogant and self-assured. There was no way she would win. What did it matter to him if they helped her? At least those were his thoughts until he became aware that she was in the city. Then he'd panicked. He barked orders, while trying desperately to slow his heartbeat. He could have kicked himself for not telling…Hoggle…that's the little dwarf's name…of his plans for Sarah.

Now he was going to be stuck in a loveless marriage with Nerys. The thought of marrying that woman made him want to take a drink. Unfortunately, he learned at a very young age, sometimes you have to do the unthinkable for the greater good. He'd never be happy with the pretty fae woman, but his Kingdom would prosper with their union. If he couldn't be happy, he was glad that they could.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Sarah watched Keely from across the room. The pretty blond girl was sitting on Sarah's bed and looking through a magazine. It seemed to amuse her because every now and then she would burst into laughter. It had been a week and Keely's visits had become something Sarah looked forward to every day. Her roommate had practically moved in with her boyfriend so she had the dorm to herself. Keely made Sarah feel a little less lost and lonely.

"What has you so amused today," Sarah asked.

"Do humans really dress this way?" Keely asked.

Sarah stood up and walked over to her new friend. Seeing the picture she was referring to, she began to giggle. Keely was looking at an ad for swimwear. The models were all dressed in various bathing suits, some of which really did look ridiculous.

"Only when they want to go for a swim," Sarah replied. At Keely's confused expression, she asked, "don't you go swimming in the Underground?"

"I've never been swimming before," Keely confessed. "I rarely get out of my home."

"That's awful," sympathized Sarah. She couldn't imagine not leaving her home to do something as mundane, though fun, as swimming. "Let's try it now."

"Try what?" Keely asked, puzzled.

"Swimming," Sarah replied. "I have a bathing suit that should fit you and there’s a pool not too far from here."

"That sounds like fun," Keely replied, grinning. She had been right to choose such a queen for her Labyrinth. Sarah would make an excellent Goblin Queen. If only she could get Sarah to admit her attraction for the Goblin King. Then again, she was still cross with him. How was he going to ever truly rule the Labyrinth if he couldn't even rein in his heart's match?

Sarah smiled and grabbed two swimming suits from her drawer. She stripped off her clothes, thinking nothing about changing in front of Keely. The blond watched and giggled as she thought about her queen. Jareth was going to thank her so much for returning Sarah to him. The Labyrinth's future queen was a true beauty, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Even though she could be stubborn and her temper rivaled Jareth’s, she still had a compassionate soul.

After she was dressed in her favorite black one-piece, Sarah turned to Keely to hand her the other swimsuit she had. Keely took it and smiled. With a wave of her hand, she was changed and ready to go. Sarah had to laugh. Magic never ceased to amaze her, especially when it was done for such ordinary tasks as changing clothes. She grabbed a couple of towels and was about to open the door, when Keely stopped her.

"Come with me Sarah," Keely said.

Sarah looked at her for a moment, confused. Keely held out her hand, willing Sarah to take it. With a grin, Sarah placed her palm on Keely’s smaller one without hesitation. The two friends disappeared from the dorm room and reappeared next to a beautiful crystal clear lake. Sarah's gasp delighted Keely.

"Where are we?" asked the stunned brunette.

"We're at the Lakh Mo Háylluokhto Síaroí," Keely replied.

"What does that mean," Sarah asked.

"It means Lake of Eternal Beauty," answered Keely, looking over the quiet waters.

"I've never seen anything like it," Sarah replied, breathless. "It wasn't here when I ran the Labyrinth before."

"Of course it was," Keely said, matter-of-factly. "You were just so focused on finding your brother, you never stopped to admire the true beauty of my lands. Not that I could blame you."

"I guess you're right," Sarah replied. "Well, last one in is a rotten peach."

Sarah ran towards the water with Keely running right behind. The two girls giggled as they slipped into the cool water. Sarah dove under and came back up, her hair plastered against her head. She looked in amazement at Keely, whose hair was still dry even though she had gone under as well. The two women splashed around for a while, enjoying their time in the water. Keely took to swimming like she had been born to do it. Sarah laughed as a fish swam past her legs, tickling her thigh. The sound of rustling feet through the trees near the lake startled them. Keely watched, ready to protect her future queen. Out of the forest, walked Jareth. He looked as stunned to see them as they were to see him.

“Well, well, well," he said, finally, "what do we have here?"

"Nothing," replied Keely.

"Nothing?" he asked, incredulously. "Nothing? Nothing, tra-la-la."

"My friend was teaching me the joys of swimming," Keely replied. She wasn't about to be intimidated by her King. He may be her sovereign, but she held a power even greater than his.

"Oh she was, was she?" asked Jareth, crossing his arms in front of him. It had thrown him for a loop when he saw Sarah with Keely. He hadn't been aware that Keely was able to communicate with anyone but him.

The two women swam to the edge of the water. Together, they walked onto the shore. It was the first time Jareth had truly seen Sarah since the night of his defeat. He tried to deny the feelings that seeing Sarah was awakening inside of him. Seeing her in that attire had made it all the more difficult for him to keep holding on to his resentment towards her for rejecting him. The water made the suit cling to her every curve, accentuating them.

"What is it that you're wearing?" he asked Keely, trying to take his mind off Sarah. He turned to the Labyrinth with his hands on his hips.

"It's called a swimsuit," Keely replied with a wink at Sarah. "Sarah loaned it to me. She's very nice and has agreed to be my friend."

Jareth frowned a little as his eyes narrowed in suspicion. The ancient being had never, to his knowledge, sought out companionship before now. Though, he was pretty sure what she was planning, he did wonder at the futility of her effort. He had convinced himself that they’d had their chance. What’s said is said, after all. But, what if he were wrong? 

"Hello Sarah," he said, his voice almost as soft and dangerous as a tiger’s purr.

"Hello, Your Majesty," Sarah replied, somewhat breathlessly. His beauty made it hard for her to focus. Had he always been this handsome? She had to get away from him before she did something she might regret. She couldn’t deny she was attracted to him, but this was the Goblin King; her biggest adversary. There was no way she could trust him after all they’d been through together. "Keely, thanks for the swim, but I really need to be getting back home."

Keely frowned, but nodded. With a wave of her hand she transported the girl home. She then changed her clothes into her traditional garments. Standing there, she gazed upon her king looking into the distance.

"She is beautiful," Keely said.

Jareth only nodded and then sighed. "What was she doing here?"

"I brought her here," Keely replied.

"Why would you do such a thing?" he asked.

"Because she's my friend," Keely stated as if the answer should have been obvious.

Jareth tried to rein in his temper. "I didn't realize you two had gotten close. In fact, I didn't realize you communicated with anyone but myself."

"I went to the Above to see if I could get her to agree to come back," explained Keely. "When she refused, she asked if I would be her friend. I thought it would be a good idea to make friends with the one I want as my future queen. As to your other point, I can communicate with anyone I wish. It just happens that the only two I wish to communicate with are my king and his future queen."

"Sarah is not going to be my future queen," he denied. "Just because you make friends with the girl does not mean that she will agree to marry me."

"She's no longer a girl," Keely replied. "She's a woman and she's very kind, but somewhat obstinate. Give me time to change her mind. I know it can be accomplished."

"I'll give you until the wedding date with Nerys," he conceded, his resolve to put Sarah fully in his past finally crumbling. "I cannot give you any more time than that."

"A month is not a long enough time to convince someone to change their entire opinion of someone," Keely complained.

"It will have to do because I cannot give you any more time," he replied.

"Fine," she said. "I will do my best to bring my queen home before your wedding."

"I truly wish you the best of luck, my friend," he replied. She nodded and transported herself back to her little room inside the Labyrinth. He watched as she disappeared. _'I hope you can win her heart. I don't know what will happen to both of us should you fail,' he thought._

Keely paced back and forth in her room trying to plan her next move. Whatever she did, she would have to make sure Sarah saw the true Jareth. She knew that Sarah saw the Goblin King through the jaded eyes of a fifteen-year-old, scared, little girl. It would be important for her to show her that things are not always as they seem. As she paced, the sky outside grew cloudy and pensive. The Labyrinthine creatures watched with awe. Something was happening. Something big. Whatever it was, they hoped it would be good.


	3. Things Aren't Always as They Seem

The Labyrinth's Queen

Things Aren't Always As They Seem

~~~~~~~~ooooo~~~~~~~~

Nerys sat at the breakfast table, watching her fiancé out of the corner of her eye. He hadn't been the same since his walk through the Labyrinth yesterday. He was distant and had hardly said two words to her this morning. Something was on his mind and Nerys was getting frustrated. She was used to being the center of attention. When she wasn't being doted on by her family, she was surrounded by friends and suitors. His lack of attention to her was maddening. Not to mention what it meant for her plans. She could only hope that this was temporary.

"Om dhfeyl reg éyjym y jkuyst?" she asked, when she could stand his silence no longer.

(Is something the matter?)

"Hmmm?" he asked, distracted.

In truth, he knew he was daydreaming. It didn't seem to matter to him at all, though. The daydream was so sweet that he couldn’t give it up. He'd been with Sarah in the Labyrinth and she was laughing with him at a shared joke. He was so close to her that he could smell her violet perfume. It was maddening to have her that close, though, when he knew it was a fiction created by his own desire. The two sides of him were warring and he knew it was a useless endeavor. Reality would always trump fantasy and the sooner he realized that the better off he’d be.

"Jareth, míl tú oj éystuokht lyan omays," she accused. Her voice had elevated, making him cringe inwardly. He knew that being lost in his own head wasn’t fair to her. Despite arguments to the contrary by whiney teenagers, he always tried his best to be fair. Besides, she deserved better. It wasn’t her fault that she was competing with the ghosts of his past.

(Jareth, you are not even listening to me now.)

"Jodhoyn luythskéol, Nerys. Mmílyn okh oj adoyr or réytuokh or fhoghd loystyjh gum Lodirymth. Todhoyr gan noythyúmos lu ga thayl," he replied. It made him angry that she refused to speak in the tongue of the Labyrinth, but he was resigned to the fact that she was a stubborn person. It was easier to go along with her on this issue than continuing to fight.

(I apologize, Nerys. I am just working on a solution to a problem within the Labyrinth. Please forgive me.)

"Ymys gan om fhoghd. D'fhéygyr jer féygyr lyan kodhrú luot," she said. She really could care less about any issues he was having in his Labyrinth, but she was curious as to what would take his attentions away from her.

(Tell me the problem. Maybe I can help you.)

"Mí ghéomfoygh oam mí o dhuyth deortho ga khuomm duoj guos foay. Kog otá duortoythu ojot ymmye?” he asked, changing the subject.

(Nothing to worry your pretty little head about. What do you have planned for today?)

It worked as he knew it would. As always, Nerys couldn't resist talking about herself. She spent the rest of breakfast going over her plans for the day. This time, Jareth refused to give in to his mind’s attempts to escape back to his daydreams. He owed it to his fiancée, his kingdom, and the Underground to make this work as best as he could. Still, he couldn’t help wondering what Sarah was doing right now.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Sarah was eating breakfast with Keely this morning. It was a Saturday, Sarah's favorite day of the week. She enjoyed introducing Keely to cereal. Even though Sarah was in college, she still enjoyed a good bowl of Lucky Charms. Keely had eyed it carefully before putting the sugary cereal into her mouth. With a smile, she happily dove into her breakfast with abandon. The two girls sat in companionable silence, watching morning cartoons. It made Sarah feel like a kid again. She giggled as one of her favorite characters said their catchphrase.

Keely couldn't help but notice the childlike spirit that surrounded Sarah. Perhaps it was this spirit that attracted her to the Labyrinth and kept her belief alive. She watched Sarah as the girl ate her breakfast and watched the moving artwork on the screen. Keely couldn't keep up with the stories and characters, but she enjoyed the little she did understand. Most of all, she enjoyed the almost musical laugh of delight that would escape Sarah's lips every now and then.

After the cartoons had given way to sports programming, Sarah collected their dishes and set them in the sink to wash. She noticed a pile of dishes and sighed at the work she would have to do. It was her roommate's turn to do the dishes, but, since she had been staying with her boyfriend, all the chores fell to Sarah. Maybe she'd officially move out and then Sarah would have the room to herself without worrying about her returning while Keely was there. That thought made her smile a little before returning to the couch.

"What did you mean when you said you've known my name for millennia?" she asked. Truthfully, this had been on her mind since she met Keely. She'd been meaning to ask her about that, but hadn't found the right time. Now seemed as good a time as any.

Keely looked at her a moment, looking as if she were trying to decide how to answer her. Finally, she said, "your name was given to me as my future champion upon my creation millennia ago."

"How old is the Labyrinth?" Sarah asked, not sure of what else to say.

"Time is not the same in my realm," Keely explained. "When you are immortal, time holds little meaning. Suffice to say, I have been around since before your race was even a mere twinkle in the eye of creation."

"Wow!" Sarah exclaimed. To be conversing with an ancient entity seemed at once plausible and absurd.

"I was created when the earth was still young and the large beasts roamed Above," Keely elaborated. "The Fae were still in their infancy of creation. They needed guidance and so I was created for that purpose."

"Guidance?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Keely replied. "When you came through my Labyrinth Sarah, did you find that you learned a lot about yourself and how the world works through the process?"

"I did a lot of growing up in your walls," Sarah acknowledged. "I'd like to think that it made me a better person."

"That's my purpose," Keely replied. "I guide, advise, and grant knowledge. As an ancient being, I am given the wisdom of the ages. I am the keeper of the past, present, and future."

"Where does Jareth fit into all of this?" Sarah asked. She tried to wrap her mind around all of the things her friend was saying. It was hard to think of the young woman as an ancient creature.

"At one point in my long history, it was decided that there must be a guardian for the Labyrinth," Kelly replied. "Someone to guide the runner into and through the Labyrinth. He or she must test the runner and make the challenge difficult for them. If they were strong and good, they would finish the Labyrinth and come out of it much improved and wise. If they could not conquer their fears and weaknesses, they would they would be turned into a creature that would complement their weakness, turning them into strengths. My job is to create strength in the world. This is accomplished by either transition or wisdom. You are stronger now, would you not say?"

"I guess so," Sarah said. "Why would you have been given my name? I mean, how would you have known that I would be victorious? Surely there have been other champions. "

"Sarah," Keely replied, "you are the only champion. No other was strong enough to change themselves purely by will and wisdom. I was given your name since my inception because your destiny has always been linked with mine. If we do not have each other, we will both perish. You can't deny you have felt a strong connection to me?"

"No, but this is a lot to take in," Sarah sighed. "Are you saying that if I don't have you around, I will die?" She liked Keely a lot, but she wasn't sure she wanted to die for her. She always believed that you made your own destiny. It was hard to think that she was a part of some preordained plan.

"There are a lot of ways to perish, Sarah," Keely reminded her. "Death is but one of them."

Sarah nodded and thought for a moment. "What about Jareth?" she asked, finally. "Isn't he your guardian?"

"His soul is as intertwined with mine as yours," Kelly answered. "He needs me to live, just as I need him. You need him too Sarah."

"Bah! I need him like I need a hole in my head," Sarah scoffed.

"He loves you Sarah," Keely implored. "You must know that."

"You’re kidding, right? The Goblin King is in love with me? Ha!" Sarah laughed sarcastically. If you didn’t know her well, she sounded almost convincing.

"It's true," Keely replied. "You should have seen him when he first came to me about you. His face held all the happiness of the world."

Keely remembered the first time Jareth had spoken to her about Sarah.

" _Keely, I've found her," Jareth said, happily. His joy radiated off of him and it was contagious. Keely couldn't help but smile back._

" _Tell me about her," Keely requested. She didn't have to ask who he was talking about. Only one person could have brought that light to his eyes. Jareth had found his queen. The girl had finally come._

" _She's beautiful, but young," Jareth replied. He thought back to seeing her in the park with his book. Her long dark hair was pulled away from her face by a garland of flowers. Her eyes, the color of the softest jade, sparkled as she read the words on the page. Her mouth, the color of a ripe peach, turned up in a smile as got lost in the story._

" _What are you planning?" Keely asked, suspicious. She'd seen the little glint in his eyes which told her he was up to something._

" _I gave her a book about you and me," Jareth explained. He knew better than to lie to Keely. The Labyrinth could tell immediately when he wasn't honest. "It will lead her to the Underground."_

" _How exactly?" Keely asked. She was a little worried about Jareth and his schemes. On the battlefield, he was excellent at coming up with winning strategies. If only he were as good at love as he was in war, then they might be able to gain their queen._

" _She will use her right words and wish her brother to me," Jareth said proudly. "If I know her, she will choose to run the Labyrinth. When she loses, she and her brother will be mine."_

" _She's too young Jareth," Keely implored. "Please wait until she's old enough to be courted properly." Keely knew her foolish young king would never be able to set aside his pride, but she had to try. It would not be as easy as he thought to capture his queen. The girl was young, but brave. Although she was childish and self-absorbed, she also had a kind heart. She'd make friends with the creatures within the Labyrinth and they would help her become victorious. This had all been foretold. Keely would do whatever she could to help Jareth, but she knew that this girl was destined to become the Labyrinth Champion._

" _Nonsense," Jareth said, ignoring the worried tone of his Labyrinth. "Trust me."_

" _Yes, my king," Keely acquiesced. It would do no good to argue. His mind was made up. What good would it do to tell him that he was making a big mistake? However, destiny was a strong force and even he was enticed by its pull. The young girl would run the Labyrinth and conquer it. She only hoped that he could withstand the pain that came with the victory. If he could not, then the young girl would be lost forever. Destiny only went so far._

"Why are you trying so hard to push me towards Jareth?" Sarah asked. "If we are destined to be together, then wouldn't we already be…um…together?"

"It's not that easy," Keely sighed. "Destiny only goes so far. You may be destined to be together, but you still have free will. You can change your destiny, if you are strong enough. You, Sarah, are one of the strongest humans I know. Just like a certain king I know."

“My will is as strong…”

“And your kingdom as great,” Keely finished.

"How do you know that Jareth's destiny is not with Nerys?" Sarah asked, not wanting to think about the implications of what Keely was telling her. For her strength and courage, all of this talk of destiny and fate scared her. She was a stubborn, independent woman who worked for what she wanted. This went against every fiber of her being.

"If it was, Sarah, I wouldn't be here right now," Keely said. She was filled with the need to make her queen see the truth. Fortunately, she was well aware of the repercussions of pushing her too hard too soon. Seeing that she was getting close to the line, Keely sighed and decided it was time to change the subject. She'd have other opportunities to impart her wisdom on the young lady. "Are we going to stand here and talk all day or are we going to have some fun?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sarah replied, "I vote for fun. What did you have in mind?"

Keely got a wicked little glint in her eye. "Want to make some mischief with me?" she asked.

"Mischief? What kind of mischief?”

“The goblin kind,” Keely said, grinning. There was a reason why the goblins had been attracted to the Labyrinth. Keely enjoyed keeping those within her realm on their toes. It was the main reason why the walls moved and tunnels opened up under unsuspecting runners. It was also the reason why Jareth was her perfect guardian. He loved mischief, too.

“You are so bad," Sarah replied. "Count me in."

The two women giggled as Keely laid out the plan. Sarah could tell that both of them liked to pull a good prank. Sarah only hoped that neither of them got caught. Being thrown in the bog or an oubliette would be the least of their worries. Keely waved her dainty hand and the two of them transported to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City.

Sarah looked around, noticing that she seemed to be in a long corridor. There were doors all along the hallway. From somewhere ahead, she could hear Jareth's voice bellowing out at his goblins. She looked to Keely, who only shrugged. They walked along the hall until they came to a door. Keely held a finger to her mouth as she opened the door and peered in. The coast was clear. She waved for Sarah to follow.

Sarah entered the most beautiful suite she had ever seen. It was decorated in plush greens and golds. There was a large bed in the corner in dark mahogany. A matching vanity table was against the opposite wall between two doors. Another wall held doors leading out to a balcony. A lovely tapestry of the Labyrinth hung next to the bed. Keely waved her through the door to the right of the vanity. She walked through to see the largest bathroom she'd ever seen.

"Where are we?" Sarah whispered.

"We're in the Queen's Chambers," Keely replied in a low voice.

"This is Nerys' bedroom?" Sarah hissed. This was getting dangerous. She didn't want to be the one to piss off the fae princess.

"For now," Keely replied cryptically. Sarah turned to leave, but Keely stopped her. She pointed to the large bathtub and tiptoed over to it. "What shall we do?"

For a moment, Sarah just looked at her companion. Was she really going to pull a prank on Jareth’s fiancée? Finally, her sense of mischief outweighed her good heart. She’d just have to make sure that she didn’t do anything too mean to the woman. It’s not like she’d probably ever see her, anyway. After looking around, briefly, she pulled down a bottle of what she assumed was bath oil.

"Here," Sarah said, handing the bottle to Keely. "Can you make this turn her skin a different color?"

"Very good Sarah," Keely said giggling. "What color should we turn it?"

"I don't know," Sarah replied. "What's her least favorite color?"

"It's green," came a deep voice from behind them. Keely and Sarah turned slowly to see Jareth standing in the doorway. He had a sly smirk on his face as he leaned on the doorjamb.

"J-Jareth," Sarah stammered, stumbling back. Her calves hit the side of the tub and she felt herself falling backwards. She closed her eyes, expecting to feel the hard marble crushing her head. Instead, she felt strong arms underneath her. She opened her eyes to see a pair of mismatched eyes peering back at her.

"Are you always this graceful, precious?" he quipped.

"Are you always this annoying?" she returned. She struggled against him, trying to get away from his hold on her.

"Nope," he said smiling. "Sometimes I'm even more so."

"Do you think you two can keep it down," Keely said, shaking her head at her monarchs.

"Why?" Jareth asked. "It's my castle. I can be as loud as I want."

"Yes, but unless you want to spend time explaining this to Nerys you may want to reevaluate your position," Keely replied.

"She's not here," Jareth said. "She's gone back to her own kingdom for more wedding planning."

"Hey," Sarah said. "While I hate to interrupt this stimulating conversation, do you think you could let me down now?"

Jareth set Sarah on her feet, ignoring the emptiness that washed over him at her withdrawal from his arms. He’d have been amazed to know that Sarah was feeling the same, though she would have been quick to deny it should anyone have asked. She stepped away from him, and the warmth of his arms, and walked back over to Keely. The two women whispered back and forth for a moment. It seemed as if they were arguing about something.

"What were you two doing in here?" Jareth interrupted.

"I was introducing my new friend to goblin mischief," Keely explained.

"Don't cause too much trouble," Jareth said, turning to leave. "You have another two hours before she gets back. Don't let her catch you in here or I can't be held responsible for what she might do to you."

Sarah watched him leave, puzzled. She'd expected him to get angry and yell. Instead, he'd been rather pleasant. Even if he had been arrogant, he'd let them continue their fun. It was very confusing. Was this the real Jareth or was he really the villain of her childhood? This was something she knew she was going to have to ponder later when she was alone.

Keely waved her hand over the oil, weaving a spell and changing the composition of the magic within. She only wished she could be around to see the results. Handing it back to Sarah, she tried to determine when she had had this much fun. Sarah replaced the oil where she'd found it and turned back to Keely.

"Well," she said, "what do we do now?"

"Let's go bathe some goblins," Keely replied. Sarah giggled and followed her back out into the hall. For the rest of the day, the two women made as much mischief as the goblins. Sarah laughed more than she had in her life. Only once more did they run into Jareth. He just shook his head and left them to their tricks.

At the end of their day, Sarah returned to her room. Keely bid her goodbye and left her alone. It was dinnertime and Sarah's stomach was growling. As she cooked dinner, she thought about her experience in the castle. One thing kept niggling at her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It wasn't until she laid her head on her pillow to go to sleep that it finally came to her.

Green was Nerys' least favorite color. Why was her suite decorated in green and gold? It was a very puzzling thing indeed.


	4. An Imbolc Night's Dream

The Labyrinth's Queen

An Imbolc Night's Dream

~~~~~~~~ooooo~~~~~~~~

Jareth lounged on his throne with a leg thrown over one of the bone arms, tapping his riding crop against his leather knee-high boot. Nerys had taken to her chambers hours ago. Now he was able to have some time to himself in the quiet of the night. It was times like these that he was able to think about what might have been if he’d done things differently; if he had been able to convince _her_ to stay. It had thrown him for a loop to see Sarah and Keely plotting in the Queen's Chambers. His arms still remembered the feeling of being around Sarah. Without her, they felt empty and useless.

A shift in the room alerted him to a new presence. "Hello, dear brother."

"Hello Sulwyn," Jareth replied, looking up to see a man with chocolate brown hair and deep blue-green eyes standing in his Throne Room. Those eyes twinkled with mischief and his lips turned up in a devilish smirk. "I will remind you that I am not your brother, yet."

"Technicalities," Sulwyn said amiably. A loud crashing sound came from the hall. Both men turned to see the goblins running in, chased closely by a short dark-haired hobgoblin.

"Robin Goodfellow, what are you doing in this castle?" Jareth asked, harshly. "Didn't I banish you over a century ago?"

"He's with me," Sulwyn remarked. "Dear Puck has agreed to let me join him for the Imbolc celebration at midnight. Why don't you stop brooding here and come with us?"

"I haven't danced in the moonlight for centuries," Jareth scoffed. "Don't you have better things to do than to run around with the wood sprites and fairies?"

"Jareth," Sulwyn pouted. "You're a kill joy. I don't understand how you can rule a kingdom of goblins and not have them rub off on you at all. Where is your sense of fun and adventure? You have become boring in your old age."

"Old age?" Jareth laughed. "You are older than me by almost half a century."

"And yet I act much younger than you," Sulwyn insisted. "You're not still brooding over that mortal wench, are you?"

Jareth glared at the fae but did not answer. Puck and Sulwyn shared a knowing look. The pair had known Jareth for many centuries. The Goblin King could generally school his face to give away no emotion, but Sulwyn could see past the façade. They had been best friends since they were boys. They used to be close, like brothers, until Jareth lost his game to a mortal. Ever since then, he’d been withdrawn and sullen.

"All the more reason to come with us to the Imbolc celebration," Sulwyn suggested. "Besides, it would get under the skin of my dear sister. You know how I love to torment her. How you can marry the creature, I'll never know."

Jareth sighed. "I cannot go with you. As much as you like to plague the woman, I am the one who will pay later."

"Fine," Sulwyn replied. "We will be off."

The two mischief makers disappeared into a cloud of glitter. Jareth rolled his eyes and thought about what his friend had said. He could never make Sulwyn understand. Duty and responsibility usurped fun and games. He knew that Sulwyn disapproved of his marriage to his sister. He didn't believe Nerys was the right mate for Jareth. The Goblin King agreed with him but said nothing. His bed was made, and he would lie in it. What's said is said, after all.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Sarah felt something shaking her and she slowly opened her eyes. Bending over her was the way too chipper Keely. The blond woman had ahold of Sarah's shoulders and was trying to get her to wake up. Sarah looked over at her clock and realized she'd only been sleeping for a couple of hours.

"Keely?" she asked, sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Keely said in an excited voice.

"Whatever you want can wait until morning," Sarah mumbled. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Come on Sarah," Keely begged. "Wake up! You're going to miss it."

"Miss what?" Sarah said, rubbing her eyes. It was way too early for this much excitement. She had a class first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, she knew that there was no deterring Keely once her mind was made up on something.

"The Imbolc celebration!" Keely exclaimed.

"Imbolc celebration?" Sarah asked.

"Come on Sarah," Keely replied. "You've been studying the myths for over three weeks. You can't tell me you don't know what Imbolc is."

"Of course, I know what Imbolc is," Sarah said. "What I don't understand is why you felt the need to wake me up out of a perfectly good sleep to remind me that it was February 1st tomorrow."

"Correction," Keely replied. "It'll be February 1st in about ten minutes. You have to join me in the celebration."

"What celebration?" Sarah asked. She sat up in bed and put her legs over the side. All hope of sleep was slowly vanishing with every minute she spent in this debate.

Keely rolled her eyes and said, "Imbolc is one of the few nights every year where the veil between the worlds is thin and permeable. These nights are worth celebrating. It's a night where the fae mingle with the wood sprites and fairies. Mischief and dancing take place in the woods."

"Sounds like something out of Shakespeare," Sarah replied.

"Yes," Keely reminisced. "William was a faithful celebrator of Midsummer's Night."

Sarah's eyes opened and all thoughts of sleep were abandoned in her excitement. "You mean his play is true?" she asked.

"Most of it," Keely replied. "Of course, he did take certain liberties. Nick Bottom was a much better actor than he's portrayed, and Demetrius was not as enamored of Hermia as William made it out to be. He only wanted her because Lysander had her. Their rivalry went all the way back to childhood."

"Fascinating," Sarah said. She stepped out of bed and stretched. "What does one wear to an Imbolc celebration?"

"Here, Sarah," Keely replied. "Allow me." She waved her hand and Sarah's nightgown changed to a long-sleeved silk gown decorated with flowers. Her hair had been done in loose waves woven with flowers and dusted with glitter.

"As pretty as this dress is, I'm wondering about its practicality," Sarah remarked. "It's still cold at this time of year."

"Don't worry about it, Sarah," Keely said, brushing aside the young woman's concern. "You'll be with us and I'll take care of you. Are you ready?"

"I'm as ready as you are," Sarah replied.

Keely flicked her wrist and the two women were transported into the woods at the far end of town. Sarah gasped in awe. She'd never seen anything like it. Fairies flitted around, moonbeams reflecting off their gossamer wings. Nymphs, sprites, and elves danced in the moonlight. A raging bonfire lit up the night, warming the chilly night air. There was music, wine, and mischief. It was quite the wonder.

“How is this possible?” Sarah asked, noting that she didn’t feel chilled at all.

“Magic, Sarah,” Keely laughed.

Sarah laughed with her, and asked, “but why here?”

“Did it ever occur to you that magic seems to happen an awful lot around you?”

“I guess I never thought about it.”

“There’s something very irresistible about magic when you’re able to feel its pull. You were probably drawn to your university because of its close proximity to this portal.”

“You may be on to something,” Sarah mused. “I’ve always felt more at home in natural settings, like these, than anywhere else.”

“Now, no more questions. It’s time to dance and have fun.”

Grabbing Sarah's hand, Keely dragged her future queen into the small clearing. Sarah spread her arms and began dancing with the ancient creature. Soon, she found herself surrounded by faerie beings. The music coursed through her veins and she felt ethereal. Several pairs of eyes watched the mortal girl as she celebrated Imbolc with them.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Sulwyn sighed, breathlessly. "Is that not a mortal celebrating among us?"

"Lord, what fools these mortals be," Puck replied.

Sulwyn laughed and clapped Puck on the back. "I am not Oberon and this is not Midsummer's Night. Though, I must agree with you. However, this mortal is different. She has been fae touched. Such a thing is a wonder in the mortal world. I shall have to investigate further."

Walking up to the clearing, the fae approached Sarah with ease. He tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned. Her eyes were bright and sparkling with excitement. A pink flush decorated her cheeks and her lips were turned up into a happy grin. Keely was busy dancing with a wood sprite and hadn't noticed that Sarah had stopped and moved away from the clearing.

"Having fun, milady?" Sulwyn asked, escorting her to the trees near the clearing.

"Very much so," Sarah replied. She watched as the dance continued, her foot tapping out the rhythm of the song.

"May I ask a question?" Sulwyn asked.

"You just did," Sarah replied, giggling. "But you may ask me another."

Sulwyn chuckled and asked, "Who are you? I only ask because we get so few mortals that join us for our celebrations."

"I'm Sarah," she replied. "I was brought by the Labyrinth." She spotted Keely and waved at her. Keely waved in return but held a look of speculation upon her face.

"Sulwyn," he said with a bow. "Sarah, you say?" Sudden understanding washed over him. "You're not the same Sarah who ran the Labyrinth a few years ago and came out victorious."

"The very same," she replied.

"Well, this is indeed an honor," he said. Something she said finally caught up with his brain. "What do you mean the Labyrinth brought you here?"

"Apparently, the Labyrinth has developed a connection to me," Sarah explained. "She and I have been communicating for a little over a week now."

"Hello Sulwyn," Keely interjected, joining the two. She didn’t trust Sulwyn and wondered what mischief he could conjure with her champion.

At his confused expression, Sarah took pity on him. "This is Keely. She's the Labyrinth."

"Pleased to meet you Keely," he replied, in awe. Never in his many years had he ever communicated with such as ancient being as the Labyrinth. That was an honor only few had been bestowed. Sarah must be very special indeed. No mortal had ever been in communication with the old magic. At least none that he’d heard of before now.

"Likewise," Keely said. "Come, Sarah. The night is young and so are we. Let's dance."

Sarah laughed and excused herself. The two friends joined the other creatures in their dance. Sulwyn watched as Puck joined him in the trees.

"Who is she?" Puck asked, leaning on the trunk of a nearby tree.

"It's the Labyrinth Champion," Sulwyn replied, not taking his eyes off her.

"No wonder she has joined us this evening. A special mortal indeed," Puck remarked.

"I can see why Jareth is smitten with her," Sulwyn said, grinning. "Come, Puck. Let us make some mischief tonight."

Walking over to the clearing, he joined Sarah in her dance. He matched her step for step as they felt the forces that be move within them. Puck moved to join them and bumped Sarah into Sulwyn's waiting arms.

"Robin, you clod," Sulwyn admonished, as if he didn't know what game was afoot. "I'm very sorry. You must excuse my friend for his bad manners."

"Robin, hmmmm," Sarah replied, pulling away from the fae. "You wouldn't happen to be Robin Goodfellow, would you?"

"The very same, milady," Puck said with a bow.

"You know of our dear Puck?" Sulwyn asked.

"Of course, I do," Sarah said. "I was an actress once upon a time. What great actress hasn't heard of the mischievous Puck?"

"Your reputation does precede you," Sulwyn told Puck. "Have you ever acted in the Dream?"

"My Oberon! What visions have I seen! Methought I was enamour'd of an ass," she recited. "I did a Summer Stock production before college."

"Ah," Sulwyn replied. "You must have been quite the vision as our lovely Queen."

Sarah blushed. "It was a great role," she said, brushing aside his compliment.

"Speak of the devil," Puck said with a smirk. The forest was banked in an ethereal light as two of the most beautiful people Sarah had ever seen appeared before them. The faerie creatures bowed low and Sarah followed their lead.

"Resume the celebration," commanded the High King. He and his queen made their way through the throng of celebrants to where Sarah was standing.

"Sulwyn," said the High Queen, smiling.

"Your Majesty," he replied with another courtly bow.

"I see you have come with a guest," The High King remarked. "Good Puck, how be you?"

"I am well, my lord," Puck replied. The queen glared at him, not forgetting what happened one Midsummer's Night many years before. Puck grinned and bowed before her. "Milady."

"I shall keep my eye on you," she said, her eyebrows raised.

"And who is this lovely creature?" asked the High King.

"This is Lady Sarah, the Champion of the Labyrinth," Sulwyn introduced. "Lady Sarah, this is Oberon, High King of the Fae and Titania, his queen."

"Very pleased to meet you," Sarah said with a deep, respectful curtsy. Oberon took her hand and placed a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. She blushed again and looked away.

"Sarah, here, was just telling us of her portrayal of you in William's Dream," Sulwyn informed them, looking at Titania.

"Enchanting," replied Oberon. Titania rolled her eyes at her husband and his flirtatious words. His proclivity for dalliances with young mortal women was well-known in the Underground. She moved closer to Sarah and edged him to her back.

"Thankfully, I don't remember much of my time with Bottom," Titania said, smiling with the memory. "Though, thanks to good Oberon's brag, I now get to see it performed over and over again."

"One does not keep quiet a victory," Oberon remarked. The two began to argue, good naturedly, and Sarah yawned into her hand.

"It is getting late, Sarah," Keely replied. "It’s almost daybreak. Let's get you home."

"Before you go, milady," Sulwyn said, putting his hand on her arm. “It’s tradition to light a candle on the flame and have it blessed. We leave a candle burning all day on Imbolc. The candle’s light is a symbol of the growing daylight and a celebration of the difficult times behind us.”

“If it’s a tradition, count me in. Where do I get the candle?”

“Here, allow me,” he held out his arm and she placed her hand in its crook.

Together, they walked over to the fire with Keely right behind. Sarah took a candle from the priest’s outreached hand and allowed him to place a blessing on it. She lit it on the fire and looked towards Sulwyn and Keely as they did the same. Keely placed her hand over the lit candle and spoke some words in a language that was unfamiliar to Sarah.

“There, now you will have no worries. This candle will not tip over and the flame will not harm you or your dwelling,” Keely explained, holding out her hand for Sarah to take. “Shall we be going?”

Sulwyn gently took hold of Sarah’s arm, stopping her from taking the proffered hand. “Would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to our celebration ball tomorrow night?"

Sarah grinned. “You mean tonight?”

“Aye,” Sulwyn confirmed with a laugh.

"I’d love to go," Sarah replied, smiling.

"Where shall we meet?" Sulwyn asked.

"May I suggest Jareth's castle?" suggested Keely, already forming a plan. This could play nicely into her hands. Maybe jealousy would catapult her king into action. So far, her words had done no good with the young mortal. Seeing his beloved Sarah on the arm of his best friend might be just what Jareth needed to begin to fight alongside her. Perhaps the two of them, together, could change Sarah’s mind.

"That's a great idea," Sulwyn replied. "I'll pick you up at sunset."

"Sounds like a plan," Sarah said. Keely took her hand and the two women disappeared.

"What mischief do you make?" Puck asked after they left.

"What makes you think I'm making mischief?" asked Sulwyn, failing to hide a devilish smirk. "Perhaps I just like the company of a pretty girl."

"Well," Puck replied. "There is that, I suppose. But the girl in question is the same one with whom your sister's fiancé is in love. You can't tell me that you have not figured that out by now."

"Good Puck, do you not trust me?" Sulwyn asked, feigning being wounded.

"Only as far as I can throw you," Puck replied amiably. The two friends laughed and continued the celebration until dawn.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Jareth was just exiting his chambers when he heard the scream. He stifled a laugh when he realized that Nerys must have just come out of her bath. He quickly schooled his features and ran into the Queen's Chambers. Nerys stood before him with a towel covering her body. Every inch of her was green from her head to her toes. Jareth hid his smile behind his hand.

"Om dhfuykuomm tú o dhfeyl géomto oke gan? " she yelled. "Tá né skryasto!"

(Do you see what they've done to me? I am ruined!)

"Ké o rymmu é sua geyt?" he asked, knowing full well who it was. He wanted to know what Nerys suspected.

(Who has done this to you?)

"Ga kheyg ádhor jrámmo," she replied, angrily.

(Your repulsive subjects)

"Kúronokh, o stár, duygh syog nor ádhoyr ojot leoth ja luar," he warned. “Ná tá tú khem snokht o fháyl or ríakht gu ghéomtúsóyrí níthruarokh, duygh art kroykuomm mías tyedho o fhás. Ys ferosto é sua o luyjhuos. Géomfoygh né ga shuanroí luovo o ghoyngmyú ojes mí dhuygh oam ynmí art o theylluogh noygyr lu níthruayr druysu.”

(Careful, my dear, they will be your subjects soon enough. If you are going to rule over a kingdom of mischief makers, you are going to have to grow a thicker skin. This is easily remedied. I will secure your bed chambers and you will no longer have any concern of additional mischief.)

Nerys blanched and crossed her arms in front of herself. She was angry with her future husband. Why didn't he care enough to punish those awful goblins? How anyone could stand to be around such disgusting creatures was beyond her. Jareth finally took pity on his fiancée and waved his hand. Soon, the green color bled away, and her porcelain skin returned to normal. She sighed and shook her head.

"Kém fáth ja roydh arthe jlos o rajhmú?" she asked, rolling her eyes. " Tá o fhyas oj jokh geymu jer feoth lyan om goth sym." Looking around, she began to make more plans in her head. "Ja guynhym, duygh arn om suanro sua o othnhoysyú. míl o fhyas ojon kém fáth ja roydh art mo gothommo sua o rajhmú."

(Why did they have to choose green? Everyone knows I hate that color. Indeed, I am going to have to redecorate this room. I do not know why you had to choose these colors.)

“Meoyr o thojomm tú khem dhuyth ymo domríam, ys féygyr luot é o nhoysyú or dhuolokh or dyth ys nyom luot," he said, placating her.

(When you become queen, you can decorate it any way you want.)

"Duygh né ," she replied. "Omays koythfygh né kóyryú o khríakhmú." Jareth nodded at her and took his leave. This was going to be a long day.

(I will. Now I have to finish dressing)

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Jareth sat at the breakfast table, waiting for the arrival of Nerys. When the door opened, he stood, expecting his fiancée. He was surprised to see Sulwyn enter the dining room. The man looked tired, but impish. Jareth could see that he was up to something. After giving him a shrewd look, he looked around the room.

"He went back with your parents," Sulwyn said, reading Jareth's mind.

"I don't know why you keep in the company of that hobgoblin," Jareth replied.

"Where's Nerys?" Sulwyn said, changing the subject.

"She had an incident this morning and has been delayed," Jareth replied.

"Incident?" Sulwyn asked.

"Someone turned her skin the color of moss," Jareth said, unable to stifle his laughter anymore.

"How delicious," Sulwyn laughed. They began to eat the breakfast before them, not waiting for Nerys to get to the table. Knowing her pride, she was probably still sulking in her chambers. Both of the men were hungry and not willing to give in to her tantrum.

"Have fun last night?" Jareth asked after seeing his friend yawn.

"Loads," Sulwyn replied. "In fact, I have a partner for tonight's ball."

"Really?" Jareth asked, suddenly interested. Sulwyn had been a bachelor for a very long time. He hadn't courted a woman in more than two centuries. The Goblin King wondered who had captured the eye of his friend. She must be someone very extraordinary.

"Yes," Sulwyn said, hiding a smirk. "You will meet her tonight."

"I can hardly wait," Jareth replied. In truth, he was not looking forward to the Imbolc ball. He hated the political gamesmanship and the idle chatter with the courtiers. He would rather sit at home and have a good game of chess with Keely. Even a late evening chat with Nerys could be enjoyable. When you got past her superficial veneer, which usually took a drink or two, she had a shrewd mind and could argue with the best of them. Unfortunately, he was a part of the Faerie Court. He had to make an appearance. Perhaps he could feign illness after a respectable amount of time.

"Thank you for breakfast, my brother," Sulwyn said after he was finished. "I must return to my own kingdom to rest before the festivities tonight."

"I will see you tonight," Jareth replied. Sulwyn nodded and disappeared before his face could give everything away. Jareth watched him go and went back to his musings. He wondered what Sarah was doing right now.


	5. Pledges Given and Dreams Shattered

The Labyrinth's Queen

Pledges Given and Dreams Shattered

~~~~~~~~ooooo~~~~~~~~

Keely sat back and watched the fruits of her labor. Sarah looked utterly exquisite in her jade colored ball gown. It hung off her shoulders, showing off her beautiful porcelain skin. Her waist was made smaller with the use of a corset, which also pushed her cleavage up to give her enticing curves. The gown belled out with layers of tulle underneath. A single silver pendant hung at her neck. Her hair was done up in a cascade of curls down her back.

Sarah sat on her bed, marveling at the feel of the soft fabric against her skin. Never before had she felt more like a princess. The whole experience was starting to feel like a dream. Nerves kept trying to come, but she pushed them away. She planned to enjoy this night. Who knew when she might get the chance again? The two women chatted as they waited until it was time for Sarah to make her appearance at the castle.

"You really should have heard her complaining this morning," Keely said, giggling.

"About that," Sarah said pensively. She hadn't forgotten her bout of mischief with Keely yesterday. For the most part, it had been just good clean fun. However, she was feeling overwhelming guilt over invading Nerys' private space. What had the woman ever done to her?

"Come on Sarah," Keely replied. "It was just a prank."

"I don't care," Sarah said. "It was still wrong. I don't know her. She's never done anything to me. Please don't ask me to do that again."

"I won't Sarah," Keely replied. She forgot about Sarah’s innate need for fairness. She really shouldn't have allowed her own personal feelings to affect her future queen like that. She'd have to come up with another plan to get Sarah to admit her feelings for Jareth. Hurting an ' _innocent'_ party was not the best idea.

"Thank you, Keely," Sarah sighed, relieved that she hadn't insulted her friend.

"What do you know about Imbolc?" Keely asked, her face serious.

"Not a whole lot," Sarah replied. She'd only been in the class for a few weeks. They really hadn't touched on the sacred days yet. She had to admit that she was very curious as to what they all meant.

"In our realm, it's a time for making new pledges or renewing old ones," Keely explained.

"A pledge? You mean like a promise?" Sarah asked.

"More like an oath," Keely elaborated. "A promise can be broken. A pledge cannot unless there are extreme circumstances. Words matter in our realm; much more than they do in this one." Sarah nodded, indicating her understanding. "I'd like to make a pledge to you on this night."

"You don't have to Keely," Sarah replied.

"I want to Sarah," Keely insisted. "I pledge, Sarah, to always be your friend. To help you whenever you need it. To be faithful and true to you. Finally, to never hurt you if it can be helped."

"Oh Keely!" Sarah exclaimed, throwing her arms around the ancient being. "I accept your pledge. I, too, pledge to be your friend. To be there when you need me. To always be honest. Finally, to never hurt you if I can help it."

"I'm so honored," Keely replied, a tear flowing from one beautiful eye. "I accept your pledge and hope to always live up to your expectations."

"Just be yourself," Sarah said. "That's all I ask."

"Done," Keely replied. "I do believe it is time for you to get to the ball, my lovely friend."

Sarah blushed at the compliment and stood. Keely held out her hands and Sarah took them. In a flash, they transported to the castle beyond the Goblin City. Again, Sarah noticed, they were in a stone hallway in some unknown part of the castle. Keely and Sarah walked to the Throne Room. If Keely knew Jareth, he'd be there and ready to go to the ball with Nerys. Of course, Nerys wouldn't be ready for a while. She tended to take her time with her appearance. That gave Keely a few moments to get Sarah and Jareth to start talking. Once they started talking, they might be able to get past this denial of Sarah's.

Jareth was leisurely sitting on his throne, one leg resting on its arm. Hearing a noise, he looked up. He expected to see Nerys, but was surprised, instead, to see Sarah and Keely. The green-eyed girl was looking more beautiful than he ever imagined. In fact, she stole his breath away. He didn't even find himself wondering what she was doing there. He was too stunned to think.

"Hello, Your Majesty," Sarah said, breaking the silence. Keely giggled at her king's expression. She couldn't remember a time where he had been struck speechless.

It was as if the enchantment had been broken at the sound of her sweet voice. "What are you doing here, Sarah?" he asked breathlessly.

"She's allowing me to escort her to the ball tonight, my brother," called a voice behind the women. Sulwyn walked up to Sarah and gave her a kiss on her cheek. He put an arm around her waist, pulling her to him possessively. Jareth's eyes narrowed at this display.

"I'll leave you Sarah," Keely said with a smile. "Have a good time." With a flick of her wrist, she disappeared.

Sarah smiled at Sulwyn and returned his kiss with a chaste one of her own. "Where's your mischievous friend?" she asked.

"The good Puck is celebrating with the rest of the hobgoblins tonight, I suppose," he replied. "I must say, Sarah, you look enchanting. Dare I say it; you're even lovelier than last night."

"I always look lovelier after I get some sleep," she quipped. He tapped her nose with his index finger, and she giggled. Sarah took a moment to gaze at her escort. He was looking quite nice tonight. He wore a jade jacket made of satin, a cream-colored ruffled shirt, and matching jade knickerbockers. Cream-colored stockings and jade colored pointed heel shoes completed the outfit. Sarah took a moment to wonder how he'd known what she would be wearing, but then she figured Keely probably had something to do with it.

Jareth watched their friendly banter with a sense of unease. Seeing her smiling at him, brushing her hand against him – _kissing him_ – made him feel ill. A rare feeling of jealousy began to bubble up inside of him. He should be the receiver of her affections, not his imp of a best friend. His heart pounded in his chest at the very sight of her. A feeling of yearning, so powerful that it nearly made him haul her over his shoulder and claim her over and over until she admitted that she belonged to him, washed over the Goblin King. He gritted his teeth against his impulse, instead watching her with eyes narrowed in longing.

"Are you ready to go?" Sulwyn asked. Sarah nodded and took his proffered arm. With a nod and a smile to his jealous friend, he transported them both to the Imbolc Ball.

Sarah gasped at the sight before her. If she was expecting the same lewd and lascivious revelers as she had seen in the crystal ballroom years before, she was happily mistaken. Though she wouldn't describe it as innocent and pure, it sure wasn't the den of iniquity she’d seen before. In her dream, Jareth had been her only respite. She hadn't really trusted him, either, as his eyes smoldered when they raked over her. She was too young to understand the feelings of lust he conjured up in her. Now, she was older and much better able to take care of herself.

The decorations were all in blues, greens, and silver. There was a dining station in the corner and Sarah saw many fae gathered there, eating and socializing between dances. There were no masks this time around. Sarah could see each beautiful face shining with laughter and, she assumed, too much alcohol. She'd been to a few college parties to know what happened when a person had too much to drink. She figured that the fae were no different.

Sulwyn led her to the announcer, who proclaimed their entrance thusly, "Prince Sulwyn of the Nymph Kingdom and Lady Sarah of the Labyrinth."

Sarah raised her eyebrows at her escort. "Prince, huh?" she asked. "You might have warned me that I was consorting with royalty."

Sulwyn grinned and replied, "And ruin the surprise? You would take away all my fun."

"You don’t strike me as someone who would be above mentioning his status if it would get him what he wanted.”

Sulwyn grinned, choosing not to be insulted by her words. "What can I say? You’re right, my little coquette. However, I had no need to mention it to you. I could tell you were someone that wasn’t interested in the trappings of royalty. If you were, you’d never have left after you ran the Labyrinth. Instead, Jareth described you more as willful, childlike, defiant, and beautiful; not like someone who feels the need to subjugate herself to a king, much less a prince.”

"I never expected that kind of deep assessment coming from you, Sulwyn,” Sarah said. “And you’re correct. I don’t really care that much about status. If I did, I would have gone into law like my father wanted me to. Instead, I decided to go into English. I’ll admit, I was a bit of a brat when I ran the Labyrinth. I was a child who thought she knew everything. I have grown up a lot since then."

"I'd have to say I'm happy that you did, but he was right," Sulwyn remarked, as he drew her into a dance. "You are quite beautiful." Sarah blushed and allowed him to lead her into a group of dancers. Several men greeted them as they danced past.

"Quite the popular boy," Sarah mentioned as he twirled her around. She laughed as he dipped her and then continued to waltz her around the floor.

"King Jareth of the Goblin Kingdom, Lord of the Labyrinth and Princess Nerys of the Nymph Kingdom," called the announcer.

Sarah turned to watch Jareth and Nerys enter the main ballroom. Now that he was in the light, it was hard to describe him as anything other than godlike. His white-blond hair shone like the sun and his mismatched eyes twinkled like the stars. He wore a teal silk jacket and matching teal knickers. A silver ruffled shirt sparkled underneath his coat and silver stockings adorned his legs. On his feet were heeled shoes in the same teal. He looked as if he had just stepped out of a Parisian ballroom during Louis the Sixteenth's reign. Nerys looked just as beautiful with her red hair done up in a striking updo and her teal gown was a perfect match to Jareth's wardrobe.

"Don't look now, my dear," Sulwyn warned, "But they're headed this way." She giggled as he attempted to twirl them away from the inevitable meeting with Jareth and Nerys. It was too late, though. The couple strolled up to them and Jareth clapped Sulwyn on the back.

"Sulwyn, my brother," he cried, ignoring the rolled eyes of his best friend. "How are you this evening? You didn't stay long enough to have a chat earlier. For shame."

"Hello Sully," Nerys said, as the four of them moved to the side to avoid a collision with one of the dancing couples still on the floor. "How are you and who is your partner this evening?"

"I'm doing well, sister dear," he ground out through his teeth. "This is Lady Sarah, the Labyrinth Champion. Perhaps you've heard of her?"

"Of course, I have," Nerys said, planting a fake smile on her lovely lips. "How are you Sharon?"

"It's Sarah," she corrected. "I'm doing well tonight, thank you. How about yourself? Oh, yes, congratulations. I'm so glad to hear of your engagement."

"I'm doing wonderfully," Nerys replied. "Thank you for the sentiment, Stacy." She looked towards Jareth, who had schooled his features into bored detachment. "I would like to dance, my love."

"If you two would excuse us," Jareth said. The couple disappeared into the sea of dancers.

Sarah rolled her eyes at the princess and turned to Sulwyn. "Would you mind escorting us to the refreshments? All this dancing has made me thirsty."

"Certainly, my beauty," he replied and led her to the table of deserts and punch. He ladled her a cup and she took it as he filled one for himself. They moved over to a door and Sulwyn opened it for her. She went through to the balcony and was thankful for the cool breeze.

"So Nerys is your sister?" she asked, taking a sip of her punch. She didn't detect any alcohol and continued to drink.

"Unfortunately," he replied.

"Sibling issues?" she teased. He grinned at her and took a drink of his own punch cup, wishing it contained something stronger. Goblin brandy, perhaps?

"How observant," he replied. "My sister and I haven't gotten along in many years. She's quite shallow and spoiled. It's rather appalling, how my parents treat her."

"Is she the only girl of your family?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," he replied, eyebrows raised. "I didn't realize you were clairvoyant."

"I'm not," she replied. "It was just a good guess. Most kids who find themselves as a lone girl or boy in their family find themselves treated just a bit different than their siblings." At his incredulous expression, she added, "I have a baby brother who is the only boy in our family, even among our cousins. He gets treated differently just because of that fact."

"Then you know how I feel," Sulwyn commented. "We don’t have many cousins, but they are all male. Perhaps I should go a little easier on her, but it's so much fun to rile her up." Sarah grinned and shook her head, downing the rest of her punch in a single gulp. "Care to go back in."

"Let’s," she replied. He guided her back into the ballroom and straight to the dance floor. Another waltz was playing, and he pulled her into the graceful movement.

After a moment, Sulwyn felt a tap at his shoulder. Jareth stood behind him, smirking. "Would you mind if I cut in?" he asked.

"Of course not," Sulwyn replied. He stepped aside and let Jareth take over the dance.

Sarah was overwhelmed by a feeling of familiarity within his arms. The memory of dancing with him in the crystal ballroom made her lips turn up into a dreamy smile. One look in his eyes, made her realize that he must have been sharing the same memory.

"Are you enjoying yourself, precious?" he asked.

"Immensely," she replied. He twirled her on his hand, and she laughed. She came back to him and they continued to dance.

"His Majesty, King Oberon, High King of the Underground and Her Majesty, Queen Titania, High Queen of the Underground," the announcer called.

At once, all movement and sound stopped. The men bowed and the women slipped into graceful curtsies. Sarah followed suit, dipping into a low curtsy of her own. Oberon waved the crowd to their feet.

"Tonight, I thank all of you for joining us at this Imbolc celebration," he proclaimed. "As a symbol of the day, I would like to make a pledge to you. I pledge to always be a fair and good king to all of my people, and I pledge to always keep the best interests of the Underground in the forefront of my rule."

The crowd burst into spontaneous applause, accepting their King's pledge. Oberon and Titania made their way to Jareth and Sarah. At their arrival, the couple bowed and curtsied once more.

"Jareth, my son," Oberon said, "how are you this evening?"

"I am quite fine, father," Jareth replied.

"There you are, pretty one," Oberon teased, turning to Sarah. "We'd wondered to where you had run last night."

"I'm afraid it was well past my bed-time, Your Majesty," Sarah replied.

"None of that tonight, Lady Sarah," Oberon replied, taking her hand, and placing a kiss on her knuckles. "It's just plain Oberon."

"Where is your escort for this evening?" Titania asked. "I wanted to bid him a hello for his company was quite entertaining last night."

"I believe he is standing over there," Sarah replied, nodding at an amused Sulwyn standing against the wall. The High Queen nodded at him and took her husband's arm, indicating her desire to go to him.

"Until later, Lady Sarah," Oberon said. "Don't forget to save a dance for me."

"Of course," Sarah replied. Jareth swept her up into another dance as the song changed.

"You have made quite the impression on my parents, precious," he said, after a moment.

"They're nice," she replied. "I've always wanted to meet the King and Queen of the Underground. Very impressive, I must say. Though, I didn't know they were your parents at the time. Now that I think about it, I do see quite the resemblance in your father."

Jareth laughed and pulled her closer. "Yes, he and I are a lot alike," he agreed.

Unbeknownst to the couple, blue eyes followed them with a deep suspicion. Jareth rarely smiled like that. At least not in her company. Nerys was practically seething with jealousy. How dare that little mortal abscond with her fiancé? She turned and stomped to the balcony, not able to stand the sight of Jareth dancing with that little mortal chit. She managed to rein in her temper as she felt a presence behind her.

"Why so upset, my Princess?" came the familiar voice of her conspirator.

"You know damn well why," she replied.

"Don't use that tone with me Princess," he warned. "It is not my fault that you cannot catch his eye as well as that mortal whore."

Nerys cast her eyes downwards, understanding that she had overstepped her bounds. The man was the only one to put her in her place. Strangely, she found that she was captivated by the power he held over her.

"What should I do?" she asked, quietly. "She's going to ruin everything we've worked to achieve."

"Tonight is Imbolc, my dear," he replied. "Convince him to make a pledge to you before the night is over. You know that once he pledges himself to you, he will be bound to you by it."

"You're brilliant!" she cried. "I shall go find him and make it happen." She left her companion, to find her fiancé. She spotted him dancing with Titania and went to the wall to bide her time.

"My dear, you are as graceful as you are beautiful," Oberon said as he danced with Sarah.

"Thank you, Oberon," Sarah replied, blushing. "The compliment is all yours."

Oberon chuckled and twirled her around. She giggled and held on tightly. Their feet fell into a graceful waltz. Sarah noticed Jareth and Titania glide past them. The look of longing on Sarah's face didn't fail to capture the High King's notice. He wondered what exactly had occurred between the two. Before he was able to ask the question, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he laughed as Sulwyn requested to dance with Sarah. He obliged, moving out of the way for the younger fae.

"Having a good time, Sarah?" he asked, moving her along with the music.

"Yes, I am," she said with a smile. "This is quite the party. At least we're indoors this time." Sulwyn laughed and dipped her.

"Don't they make a perfect couple?" Titania asked Jareth as he led her around the floor.

"I suppose they do," Jareth replied, looking over at the couple in question.

"It's about time Sulwyn met a girl with whom he could fall in love," Titania remarked.

"What do you mean?" Jareth asked.

"Can't you see their chemistry?" Titania replied. "It's only a matter of time before we hear a wedding announcement."

"Mother, you always say that," Jareth said.

"This time, I really believe it," Titania replied. "Look for yourself."

Jareth watched as Sulwyn said something that sent Sarah into peals of laughter. She reached up and kissed his cheek. He pinched hers in return, saying something in her ear and laughing at the blush that followed. It certainly seemed as if they were a happy couple. The thought made his heart cry out in despair. Keely was wrong, Sarah didn't love him. In fact, it seemed that his best friend had captured her eye. If he believed his mother, he would soon have her heart. He turned away and continued his dance with the High Queen.

When the song changed, he excused himself to find his fiancée. Nerys smiled, triumphantly, when he asked her to dance. She allowed him to escort her to the dance floor. Placing her dainty hand in his, she let him lead her into a graceful dance.

"How are your parents?" she asked.

"They are well," he replied, yawning. "I am finding myself getting weary. It is almost midnight."

Nerys looked at the large clock on the wall and realized that she didn't have much time to waste. Once midnight arose, Imbolc would be over, and she wouldn't be able to convince him to make a pledge. Frantically, she thought of a way to get him to make his pledge to her.

"Before we go," she said, "I'd like to take the time to commemorate Imbolc with a pledge of my own. I pledge to try to be the best fiancée I can be and good wife after the wedding."

Jareth snapped his eyes up to gaze into hers. The pledge had caught him off guard. What should he say in response? Looking over at Sarah, he made up his mind. She was dancing happily with Sulwyn. If she could move on, why couldn't he?

"I accept your pledge, my dear," he replied. "I pledge to be a good fiancé to you until our wedding day. At that time, I pledge to be the best husband I can be."

"I accept your pledge, my king," she said, trying to hide the look of victory from appearing on her face. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and captured his lips in a sweet kiss.

Jareth was nothing, if not honorable. He knew what he had done by making his pledge to Nerys. If he felt any regret, he quickly squashed it. Before the pledge, he may have been able to end his relationship with Nerys if he had thought he had any chance with Sarah. He never would have touched Sarah if he was still in a relationship with someone else. It would be disrespectful and, worse, dishonorable. Nerys didn't deserve that. Now, it would be nearly impossible. The only way he could get out of his marriage with Nerys would be if she behaved dishonorably, which he seriously doubted she would, or if she agreed to end her relationship with him, which he knew her father would never allow.

"Let us retire now," Jareth said, breaking from the kiss. She nodded and they disappeared.

Sulwyn noticed that Jareth had left the ballroom. He grinned as he thought about how jealous Jareth had been tonight. Tomorrow, he would continue his mischief. Anything he could do to get under his sister's skin, the better. At long last, it was time to take Sarah home. He transported her to her dorm and placed a chaste kiss upon her cheek. She returned the kiss and bid him goodbye as she went inside. He disappeared back to the Underground to find Puck and tell him about the ball. Sulwyn and Puck continued to plan, oblivious to the trouble the Nymph Prince had already caused.


	6. Aftermath

The Labyrinth's Queen

Aftermath

~~~~~~~~ooooo~~~~~~~~

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" Keely asked, helping Sarah out of her dress and into some cotton pajamas.

"I had a lot of fun," Sarah replied.

"What did you think of Lord Sulwyn?" Keely asked, slyly. It wouldn't do any good to have the woman fall for the wrong man.

"He was nice," Sarah said, dismissively. "Not really my type, but he makes me laugh." ' _My type,' Sarah thought. 'Tall, blond, and fae. What? No!'_ Sarah shook her head trying to rid herself of thoughts of mismatched eyes and crazy blond hair.

"Did you do a lot of dancing?" Keely asked.

"Actually, I did," Sarah replied. "I danced with a few people." Sarah sat on the bed and stretched. It had been quite a nice night. She could remember the feel of Jareth's arms around her.

"Oh, who?" Keely inquired.

"Sulwyn, of course," Sarah answered. "The High King. Oh…and um…Jareth." Sarah blushed and hoped that Keely didn't notice. Unfortunately, luck was not on Sarah's side today.

"What was that?" Keely asked. She hadn't missed the nervous way that Sarah said the Goblin King's name. Nor did she miss the telltale blush on Sarah's face. It must have been quite the dance.

"I might have danced once or twice with Jareth," Sarah replied. "Just to be polite of course."

"Of course," Keely said. It was time to find out how the little dance affected the other half of the equation. "I should be going now Sarah. Have a good night."

"Night Keely," Sarah replied, slipping under her covers. Keely left in a flash of glitter and Sarah fell asleep almost as quickly as her head hit the pillow. She dreamed of crystal ballrooms, poofy dresses, and an eluding blond in a blue jacket.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Jareth stood on his balcony looking over the twists and turns of the Labyrinth below him. Bathed in moonlight, it was deceptively peaceful this night. Obviously, Keely was in a good mood. There hadn't been storm clouds in the Labyrinth in a few days. He hoped that Keely had given up on trying to persuade Sarah to come to the Labyrinth. Obviously, the girl wanted his best friend.

This is how Keely found him. She could tell that something was on his mind. Correctly, she guessed it was her lovely queen. Unfortunately, she wasn't in possession of all the facts. She had no idea that Sulwyn's little tease had caused such monumental misunderstandings to occur. Of course, if she knew how involved Puck was with all of this, she wouldn't have been surprised.

"Did you enjoy the ball?" she asked, coming up behind him. Jareth jumped slightly and turned.

"It was a ball, what's to enjoy?" he replied. His heart was broken. Dancing with Sarah was just a reminder of what could never be. Though, having her in his arms was the only time he had truly felt complete. He first felt that sense of completeness in her masquerade dream. Dancing at the Imbolc Ball brought all of that back, full force.

"I don't know," Keely replied. "Did you do a lot of dancing?"

"If you've talked with Miss Williams, then you know I did," he stated.

"I did talk to Sarah," Keely replied. "She seemed very flustered when I talked to her about your dance. What exactly did you do to my friend?"

"I didn't do anything to her," Jareth replied. "It was just a dance, that's all." His eyes turned wistful as his arms remembered the feel of her within them.

"If you say so," Keely smirked.

Jareth looked at her with a frown. What exactly was his Labyrinth playing at? The woman was clearly attracted to his friend. She never thought of him as anything more than her nemeses. Although, she hadn't acted that way when they had danced. It was all so confusing. No matter, though. He had already pledged himself to Nerys. Nothing Keely said now could change that one fact.

"Keely, I'm going to ask you not to interfere," Jareth said finally.

"But why?" Keely asked. She was so confused. Why would he want her to stop working on Sarah? She was so close to getting her to admit her feelings for the man. One more push might be all it takes.

"Don't question me," he snapped. "Just do it."

"Yes, Your Majesty," she replied coldly. She was hurt. Couldn't he see she was doing this for him? For them?

Jareth felt guilty. She was just doing what she thought was right. She couldn't know that it would never be how she dreamed. "I'm sorry Keely," he apologized. "Please do it for me."

Keely said nothing but nodded her head. With a wave of her hand, she disappeared from his view. He stood and changed from his fancy dress to his sleep pants and climbed into bed. Sleep took some time, but it finally overtook him. He dreamed of a beautiful brunette and a young blond boy with mismatched green eyes on her hip. A smile adorned his sleeping face as he dreamed of what could have been.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Sulwyn opened his eyes and blinked at the harsh sunlight. He was confused. Where exactly was he? It certainly wasn't his bedroom. His head felt like it was in a vice. How much had he had to drink last night? The last thing he remembered was drinking some strong ale with Puck. Puck! Where was that little mischievous hobgoblin?

It was all starting to come back to him. He remembered going to see Puck after the ball last night. He told him about the little joke he'd played on Jareth. It was wonderful to see Jareth work so hard not to look jealous. The look on Nerys' face was also quite amusing. They'd gotten quite drunk while talking and ended up singing bawdy drinking songs and falling asleep in the meadow.

Speak of the devil, there was the hobgoblin himself. Puck was lying asleep in the grass, while fairies flitted around his head. If he didn't look out, he'd end up with a dozen fairy bites. Sulwyn shook his friend. Puck mumbled something incoherent and tried to fall back to sleep. It wasn't until one of the fairies bit the end of his nose that he suddenly sat up, screaming obscenities.

"Good morning, Robin," Sulwyn cried.

Puck held his head and glared at his friend. "What, pray tell, is so good about this morn?" he asked, sullenly.

"It's a morning to make mischief," Sulwyn returned. "Don't you remember our plans?"

"Vaguely," Puck answered. Sulwyn took pity on him and created a crystal. He threw it up in the air and it enveloped the pair before popping like a bubble. At once, all signs of a hangover were gone.

"Better?" asked Sulwyn.

"Much," replied Puck.

"Good," returned Sulwyn. "Now we can get back to the plan."

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Puck asked.

"Would you doubt me?" Sulwyn asked, leaning back on his hands and letting the sun warm his face.

"When don't I?" quipped Puck. Sulwyn gave his friend an indulgent look. "You want to poke a sleeping dragon and you want me to help you."

"Whatever do you mean?" asked Sulwyn.

"You know exactly what I mean," Puck said, suddenly turning serious. "You're going to dangle that mortal in front of Jareth's face in order to see what he'll do."

"Also, to get under Nerys' skin," Sulwyn interjected.

"Yes," Puck agreed. "You don't think about the consequences of what may happen should you get too close to this particular mortal." At his friend's confused look, Puck sighed. "She's been fae touched and she's already captivated one man. Don't you think if you get too close that you may also fall victim to her charms?"

"Bah!" scoffed Sulwyn. He was never the one to allow his heart to be stolen by any female, fae or mortal.

"You jest, but I'd be careful if I were you," warned Puck.

"Duly noted," Sulwyn replied. "Now let's finalize these plans. I can't wait to see the look on my sister's face. Such merry mischief we shall make."

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Nerys walked into the Throne Room, thinking that she would find her handsome fiancé sitting on his throne as usual. A frown tinged her pretty face as she found it filled with goblins, with no king in his throne. She turned to leave and stumbled over one of the smaller goblins as he was coming into the room. Bumping into another goblin, she soon found herself covered in his ale.

"Stupid cretin!" she yelled. She picked up the little trembling goblin and threw him against the wall. He hit with a splat and slid down to the floor. She began kicking goblins and screaming at them. They ran from the room, trying to get out of the way of her temper.

Nerys stomped back to her room to change. When she became queen, she'd clear this entire castle of goblins once and for all. Nothing but trouble, they are.

Jareth walked into the Throne Room and frowned. His goblins were trembling and little BogBottom was lying on the floor unconscious. He picked up the tiny goblin and could see that he had been hurt.

"What happened here?" he asked. Though he schooled his features, the fury he felt was barely restrained. He could be rude to his subjects, but he rarely hurt them. Most of the time, all he needed to do was threaten the bog to get them to behave. Even when he kicked them, it was rarely hard enough to leave a mark and they all loved flying through the air.

None of the goblins were willing to implicate their future queen. They'd all seen what happened if she was just irritated. If they angered her, they shuddered to think of what she'd do. Jareth became frustrated at their silence. What in the world could have made his goblins act so peculiar? He'd definitely have to get to the bottom of this.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Sarah was studying for her Psych 300 class and not getting very far. She couldn't concentrate on anything more than last night's ball. Her feelings were so very confused right now. She needed a distraction. Anything to keep her from thinking about a certain Goblin King.

It was as if someone had heard her thoughts when a small cardinal began pecking at her window. Confused, she went to the window and looked at the bird. Should she let it in? What if it was diseased and she let it in, and it bit her? These thoughts kept running through her head as she tried to decide what to do. Something about the bird felt familiar.

Without any more thought as to the risk, she opened the window wide. The cardinal flew in and took a lap around her room. She watched warily as it took a perch on her desk chair. With a flash of light and a sprinkle of glitter, the cardinal turned into a man.

"Sulwyn!" she exclaimed. "What the hell! You nearly scared me to death."

"It's nice to see you too, Sarah," he replied with a smirk.

Sarah gave an indulgent smile and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't I have come just to see you?" asked Sulwyn.

"With the company you keep, why ever would I trust a statement like that?" she replied.

Sulwyn laughed. Ever more, he could see the attraction his best friend felt for this mortal girl. She was quick, smart, funny, and beautiful. Her smile lit up the room. Shaking his head, dismissing this line of thoughts from his head, he said, "Sarah, you wound me."

It was her turn to laugh. She just couldn't take him seriously. His eyes held such a devilish gleam. "Seriously," she said finally. "What are you doing here?"

"Alright, Sarah," he replied. "I wanted to see if you'd like to accompany me to the Goblin Market today."

"Why there?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Don't they have a market in _your_ Kingdom."

"They do, but it's not as fun as Jareth's," he replied. She was so smart; this was going to be difficult. He always did like a good challenge.

"Well," she said, "I know I probably shouldn't go. Ordinarily I would turn you down and go back to my studying, but therein lies the rub. I don't want to study. You can be my distraction."

"Happy to be of service," he replied, holding out his arm.

Sarah looked at her outfit of jeans and a pullover. He could see her thinking about her ensemble and smiled. With a snap of his fingers, her outfit was transformed into a comfortable muslin gown. Her hair was curled and put up with a ribbon. She giggled and shook her head at him. Taking his proffered arm, she allowed him to transport them to the Goblin Kingdom.

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Jareth was frustrated; there was just no other word for it. He'd talked to nearly every servant and subject of his and still couldn't figure out who had been so cruel to them this morning. He tried to rack his brain as to who was in his castle or on his land that had access to the Throne Room. Only a few people came to mind, but none of them could have done it. It was most perplexing.

The sound of a clearing throat pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up from his throne to see two men standing there. One of them was the spitting image of Jareth, except that his mismatched eyes were reversed. That would be Jareth's twin brother, Eurwyn. Born thirteen minutes after Jareth, he was as handsome and arrogant as his older brother. The other man was as fair as the two brothers. He had blond hair and green eyes. Though he wasn't as slim as the other two men, he was still quite thin and muscular.

"Eurwyn and Bledig," Jareth said. "This is a surprise. What brings you to the Goblin Kingdom?"

"Just checking on my big brother," Eurwyn replied. At Jareth's rather skeptical look, he continued, "and to come to market. I needed some goblin ale for a party I'm giving this week. A party, I might add, for which I have not received your RSVP."

Jareth barely remembered getting an invitation to his brother's party. It was some kind of male bonding thing, in which Jareth wasn't sure if he wanted to participate. He sighed deeply. He hadn't spent much time willingly with his brother in quite a while. It would be good to make an appearance at this function.

"I'll be there," he said. "Bledig, how've you been? I haven't seen you in I don't know how long."

"I'm doing well, Jareth," he replied.

"I see you still put up with my brother," Jareth quipped. Eurwyn and Bledig had been great friends for centuries.

"Indeed," Bledig said with a smirk.

"Why don't we all go to market and we can catch up there," Jareth suggested.

"Sounds like a wonderful plan, my brother," Eurwyn replied.

The three men transported to the heart of the market. They walked around for an hour, talking about things that they'd been doing and perusing the merchandise. Eurwyn bought a large amount of goblin ale. Jareth shook his head in wonder. Even his goblins didn't drink that much in a night. The bottles were transported to Eurwyn's castle. Now they were looking for some goblin treats.

"Hey," Eurwyn said, suddenly stopping. "Isn't that Sully over there?"

Jareth and Bledig turned. Sure enough, Sulwyn was standing next to the dressmaker's shop alone. He had a look of anticipation on his face. The three men walked over to him.

"Sully!" Eurwyn cried.

"Wyn," Sulwyn replied. "How in Hades have you been?"

"I've been doing well," Eurwyn replied. "What in the Underground are you doing here and standing next to the dressmaker's shop no less?"

"I think the answer may be walking this way," Bledig said with a smirk.

"So, what do you think?" Sarah asked Sulwyn with a twirl. She hadn't seen the other three men standing there. She was in a beautiful emerald colored silk dress. The bodice hugged her figure like a second skin. It was low enough to show off her enticing cleavage, but not too low as to be indecent. The color brought out her eyes and made her white skin look luminescent.

"Very pretty, precious," Jareth replied. Each of the men stood a little straighter and puffed their chests out a little more at the sight of the pretty girl before them.

At the sound of Jareth's voice, Sarah jumped and turned. It was then that she saw the other men standing with Sulwyn. Her face flushed a pretty pink. She looked from Jareth to Eurwyn and back, confused.

"Let me introduce everyone," Sulwyn said with a grin. "Gentlemen, this is Lady Sarah. Sarah this is Jareth's twin brother, Eurwyn."

"Charmed," said Eurwyn. Sarah was taken aback by how similar he sounded to Jareth.

"And this is his friend, Bledig," Sulwyn continued.

"Very nice to meet you Lady Sarah," Bledig replied.

"I believe you already know Jareth," Sulwyn finished.

"Hello, precious," Jareth purred.

"It's nice to meet you both," Sarah returned. "Good to see you again, Your Majesty."

"I must say Sarah," Sulwyn said. "You look splendid in that choice. Much better than the last one."

"Do you think so?" she replied.

"Of course," he affirmed. "Would you like it?"

"I don't really have anywhere to wear a dress like this," she replied.

"We'll find a place," Sulwyn said, smirking. He gave her cheek a kiss and she flushed again.

"I'd better go change," she replied. "If you'll excuse me gentlemen."

Sarah went back into the dressmaker's shop. The three men watched her go. Once she had disappeared back into the shop, they turned to Sulwyn.

"Lady Sarah?" Eurwyn said. His face was turned up into a bright grin. He couldn't remember the last time his brother's friend had courted a girl.

"I'm just escorting her, Wyn," Sulwyn replied. "We are not courting."

"If that's true," Jareth interjected, "then why did you dance with her in the Above, take her to the Imbolc Ball, and now you're buying her a gown?"

"I just like her company," Sulwyn replied.

"Uh huh," Bledig said. "Then why did your eyes light up when you saw her. I know that look."

"She _is_ very pleasing to the eye," Sulwyn explained.

"That she is," Jareth remarked. Sulwyn couldn't miss the look in Jareth's eye. For the first time, he wondered at the intelligence of his plan. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to poke a sleeping dragon. Unfortunately, he was in too deep to turn back now.

"I think I may escort her to your wedding, Jareth," Sulwyn said. "It might be nice to see her reaction to the big 'I do'."

"Why's that?" Jareth asked, his eyes narrowing.

"No reason," Sulwyn said. "Maybe I'm just thinking of the future."

Jareth's jaw tightened and his fists clenched. Sulwyn was definitely getting through his defenses. None of the men had ever seen him like this. Jareth closed his eyes and allowed his control to take over. What in Hades had gotten into him? Wasn't he happy that his best friend had found such a wonderful girl as Sarah? He'd already made his choice. He would marry Nerys as he pledged. Sarah deserved some happiness, too. He loved her too much to deny her that.

"I'm back," Sarah said, walking up to the group. She noticed the tension but shook it off.

"If you would excuse us," Sulwyn said. "I must get Sarah and her gown back to her room."

The men said their goodbyes as Sulwyn went into the shop to pay for the gown. The three men went back to the castle. Jareth was no longer in the mood to stay in the market. The other two men were confused. Just what had happened at the dressmaker's?

*J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S* J*S*J*S*J*S*

Over the next week, Sarah received regular visits from both Sulwyn and Keely. Her blond friend continued to try to persuade her to admit she had feelings for Jareth. Though she was certain that something had happened when they danced, she was unwilling to say that to Keely. She didn't want to get her friend's hopes up when she was uncertain about her feelings herself. Also, he was getting married to someone else. One thing Sarah refused to become was her mother. Her mother had become involved with Jeremy while she'd been married to Sarah's father. Jeremy was also married at the time and his wife was pregnant with his child. It had been a big mess that nearly destroyed her entire family. It had changed Sarah's disposition from sweet and kind to irritable and depressed. Running the Labyrinth had been just the thing Sarah needed to help her heal from that horrible wound. That was one thing she could thank Jareth for.

Sulwyn on the other hand had been taking her to see various sites around the Underground. Sarah was very suspicious of his behavior. It wasn't the fact that he wanted to spend so much time with her. He was becoming one of her most favorite friends. She felt like she could be herself around him. He gave her the license to be silly and it felt good to let her hair down. The problem was, every time they went somewhere, Jareth would just happen to be there, too. It was just too much of a coincidence for Sarah not to believe something was going on. Knowing Sulwyn, she had to believe he was using her to annoy Jareth. It was something that Sarah knew she'd have to talk to him about, eventually. Right now, she was having too much fun to make much out of his love of mischief.

"Sarah!" Keely cried. Sarah came out of her thoughts with a start. It was rather obvious that Keely had been trying to get her attention for some time now.

"Sorry Keely," Sarah apologized. "I guess I was daydreaming. What did you say?"

"I said, the castle is such a mess right now," Keely repeated with an eyeroll.

"When isn't it?" Sarah replied. "I mean, the man has chickens running everywhere." Seriously, Sarah had noticed the chaotic appearance of the Throne Room. Chickens and ale everywhere. Doesn't the Goblin King have any cleaning staff?

Keely giggled for a moment before turning serious. "I mean it Sarah," Keely said. "Ever since Jareth took to his bed, it has gone downhill."

"What do you mean?" Sarah replied, suddenly worried. Why was Jareth in bed? What was wrong with him? Sarah's mind automatically started thinking the worst.

"Didn't I tell you?" Keely asked.

"Tell me what? You didn't tell me anything," Sarah snapped, getting progressively more concerned.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sarah," Keely apologized. "I thought I had. It's just that Jareth has taken ill."

"Is he ok?" Sarah asked, her voice trembling. Jareth couldn't be sick. He was strong and powerful. The idea of him lying in bed barely holding on to life was a frightening one.

"I really don't know Sarah," Keely replied. "He's been in bed for the past two days."

"Maybe I should go to him," Sarah said.

"I think that would be a good idea," Keely replied.

"Can you send me to him?" Sarah asked.

"Sure Sarah," Keely replied. "Are you ready?"

Sarah took a moment to put on a sweater over her camisole. She looked in the mirror for a moment, before chastising herself for her vanity. She was going to a sick man's bedside not on a date.

"I'm ready."

**Author's Note:**

> This is cross posted with ff.net. It's the first of my stories that I felt needed some editing so I'm posting the revised version here. The plot, itself, won't change too much. Just some minor details to help it flow better and better represent my vision for this tale.


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